Psychological trauma is a response to an event that a person finds highly stressful. Examples include bullying, harassment, physical, psychological, or sexual abuse, sexual assault, traffic accidents, childbirth, life threatening illnesses, sudden loss of a loved one, being attacked, being kidnapped, acts of terrorism, natural disasters, war. Trauma can cause a wide range of physical and emotional symptoms.

Not everyone who experiences a stressful event will develop trauma. There are also various types of trauma. Some people will develop symptoms that resolve after a few weeks, while others will have more long-term effects. Treatment needs to be tailored to assist the individual needs of the client, and therapeutic interventions are often interweaved to ensure the specific needs of the clients are being addressed during session. When treatment is successful, people will experience relief from the symptoms of trauma as the root cause has been addressed and they will find constructive ways to manage their symptoms.

However, a person may experience trauma as a response to any event they find physically or emotionally threatening or harmful.

A traumatised person can feel a range of emotions both immediately after the event and in the long term. They may feel overwhelmed, helpless, shocked, or have difficulty processing their experiences. Trauma can also cause physical symptoms.

Trauma can have long-term effects on the person’s well-being. If symptoms persist and do not decrease in severity, it can indicate that the trauma has developed into a mental health disorder called post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

There are several types of trauma, including:

Acute trauma: This results from a single stressful or dangerous event.

Chronic trauma: This results from repeated and prolonged exposure to highly stressful events. Examples include cases of child abuse, bullying, or domestic violence.

Complex trauma: This results from exposure to multiple traumatic events.

Secondary trauma, or vicarious trauma, is another form of trauma. With this form of trauma, a person develops trauma symptoms from close contact with someone who has experienced a traumatic event.

Symptoms include: denial, anger, fear, sadness, shame, confusion, anxiety depression, numbness, guilt, hopelessness, irritability, difficulty concentrating.

You may have emotional outbursts, find it difficult to cope with how you feel, or withdraw from others. Flashbacks, where a person relives the traumatic event in their mind, are common, as are nightmares.

Physical responses

Along with an emotional reaction, trauma can cause physical symptoms such as: headaches, digestive symptoms, fatigue, racing heart, sweating, feeling jumpy.

Sometimes, a person will also experience hyperarousal, or when someone feels as though they are in a constant state of alertness. This may make it difficult to sleep. Individuals may also go on to develop other mental health issues, such as depression, anxiety, and substance abuse problems.

Traumatic experiences

Traumatic events can be isolated or repeated, ongoing events. A person can also experience trauma after witnessing something traumatic happening to someone else.

People have different reactions to traumatic events. For example, those who live through the same natural disaster can respond very differently despite experiencing the same event.

PTSD develops when the symptoms of trauma persist or get worse in the weeks and months after the stressful event. PTSD is distressing and interferes with a person’s daily life and relationships.

Symptoms include severe anxiety, flashbacks, and persistent memories of the event.

Another symptom of PTSD is avoidance behaviours. If a person tries to avoid thinking about the traumatic event, visiting the place where it occurred, or avoiding its triggers, it can be a sign of PTSD.

PTSD may last for years, although treatment can help people to manage their symptoms and improve their quality of life.

Risk factors for developing PTSD include: previous trauma, physical pain or injury having little support after the trauma, dealing with other stressors at the same time, such as financial difficulty, previous anxiety or depression, most people who experience a traumatic event do not develop PTSD.

Childhood trauma, or C/PTSD

Research indicates that children are especially vulnerable to trauma because their brains are still developing.

Children experience a heightened state of stress during terrible events, and their bodies release hormones related to stress and fear.

This type of developmental trauma can disrupt normal brain development. As a result, trauma, especially ongoing trauma, can significantly affect a child’s long-term emotional development, mental health, physical health, and behaviour.

The sense of fear and helplessness may persist into adulthood. It leaves the person at a significantly higher risk.